Salvia plant named ‘Sunsarurein’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Salvia  plant named ‘Sunsarurein’ characterized by its upright and relatively compact plant habit, freely basal branching habit, dense and bushy plant form, freely flowering habit, bright magenta colored flowers, and tolerance to high and low temperatures.

Latin name of the genus and species of the plant claimed: Salviajamensis.

Varietal denomination: ‘Sunsarurein’.

BACKGROUND OF THE NEW PLANT

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Salviaplant, botanically known as Salvia jamensis, and hereinafter referred toby the name ‘Sunsarurein.’

The new Salvia is a product of a planned breeding program conducted bythe inventors in Higashiomi-shi, Shiga, Japan. The new cultivar‘Sunsarurein’ is compact with a bushy growth habit and numerous flowerswith attractive coloration.

The new Salvia originated from a cross-pollination made by the inventorsin April, 1998 of a proprietary Salvia selection identified as codenumber ‘97S34-2,’ not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with theSalvia jamensis cultivar ‘Cherry Sage,’ not patented, as the male, orpollen, parent. The new SalvIa was discovered and selected by theinventors as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the statedcross-pollination grown in a controlled environment in Higashiomi-shi,Shiga, Japan.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by cuttings and divisions takenat Higashiomi-shi, Shiga, Japan, since September, 2000, has shown thatthe unique features of this new Salvia are stable and reproduced true totype in successive generations.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The accompanying colored photograph illustrate the overall appearance ofthe new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the actualcolors of the new Salvia.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW CULTIVAR

Plants of the cultivar ‘Sunsarurein’ have not been observed under allpossible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature and light intensitywithout, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Sunsarurein.’ These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Sunsarurein’ as a new and distinct Salviacultivar:

-   -   1. Upright and relatively compact plant habit.    -   2. Freely basal branching, dense and bushy plant form.    -   3. Freely flowering habit.    -   4. Magenta colored flowers.    -   5. Tolerant to high and low temperatures.

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE NEW CULTIVAR ‘SUNSARUREIN,’ ITS PARENTS AND THEMOST RESEMBLING VARIETIES

Plants of the new Salvia differ from plants of the parents primarily inflower color as plants of the female parent selection have red purplecolored flowers and plants of the male parent, the cultivar ‘CherrySage,’ have scarlet red colored flowers.

Plants of the new Salvia differ from plants of the Salvia cultivars‘Sunsarupin,’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 15,215, and ‘Sunsaruoro,’ U.S. PlantPat. No. 15,141, primarily in flower color.

Plants of the new Salvia can be compared to plants of the Salviacultivar ‘Navajo Bright Red,’ not patented. In side-by-side comparisonsconducted in Enkhuizen, Holland, plants of the new Salvia differed fromplants of the cultivar ‘Navajo Bright Red’ in the followingcharacteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Salvia were more compact than plants of the        cultivar ‘Navajo Bright Red.’    -   2. Plants of the new Salvia had elliptical shaped leaves and        plants of the cultivar ‘Navajo Bright Red’ have oval shaped        leaves.    -   3. Plants of the new Salvia and the cultivar ‘Navajo Bright Red’        differed in flower color as plants of the cultivar ‘Navajo        Bright Red’ had red colored flowers.    -   4. Plants of the new Salvia were tolerant to lower temperatures        than plants of the cultivar ‘Navajo Bright Red.’

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

Plants shown in the aforementioned photographs and used in the followingdescription were grown under conditions which closely approximatecommercial production conditions in the spring time in Holland. Duringthe production of the plants, day temperatures were about 25 degrees C.and night temperatures were about 20 degrees C. The description was madeon 37 week old plants that were grown in the field in Enkhuizen,Holland.

-   Propagation type: By cuttings.-   Time to initiate roots: Summer: About 7 days at 25 degrees C.    Winter; About 10 days at 20 degrees C.-   Time to produce a rooted young plant : Summer: About 30 days at    20-30 degrees C. Winter: About 40 days at 15-20 degrees C.-   Root description: Fine, fibrous, freely branching, and light brown    in color.-   Plant description:    -   -   Form.—Perennial. Mostly upright and relatively compact plant            habit, narrow inverted triangle. Freely basal branching,            dense and bushy plant habit, vigorous growth habit. Flowers            arranged in verticillasters on spikes.        -   Plant height.—About 99 cm.        -   Plant width.—About 60 cm.-   Flowering stem description (peduncles):    -   -   Length.—About 70 cm.        -   Diameter.—About 4 mm.        -   Internode length.—About 2-3 cm.        -   Strength.—Strong.        -   Texture.—Smooth, glabrous.        -   Color.—N199B.-   Foliage description:    -   -   Arrangement.—Opposite, simple.        -   Length.—About 2.5 cm.        -   Width.—About 0.9 cm.        -   Shape.—Ovate.        -   Apex.—Acute.        -   Base.—Attenuate.        -   Margin.—Entire.        -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Rough, waxy, glabrous.        -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.        -   Color.—Developing and fully expanded foliage, upper surface:            138A. Developing and fully expanded foliage, lower surface:            138B.-   Petiole:    -   -   Length.—About 0.7 cm.        -   Diameter.—About 0.7 mm.        -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Smooth, glabrous.        -   Color.—138A.-   Flower description:    -   -   Flower arrangement and shape.—Single bilabiate flowers in            verticillasters on spikes; flowers face upright and            outwardly. Freely flowering, about 17 flowers and flower            buds per spike.        -   Natural flowering season.—Continuous from spring to late            autumn in Holland.        -   Flower longevity on the plant.—Individual flowers last about            2-5 days on the plant. Flowers not persistent.        -   Fragrance.—Faintly fragrant, sweet.-   Flower buds:    -   -   Length.—About 1.2 mm.        -   Diameter.—About 2 mm.        -   Shape.—Obovate to trullate.        -   Color.—59A.-   Inflorescence size:    -   -   Length.—About 21 cm.-   Flowers:    -   -   Diameter.—About 1.5 cm.        -   Depth (height).—About 2.8 cm.-   Petals:    -   -   Arrangement.—Bilabiate; one upper lip and one lower lip with            two lobes; lips fused at the base.        -   Length.—Upper petal: About 9 mm. Lower petal: About 1.4 cm.        -   Width.—Upper petal: About 4 mm. Lower petal: About 0.9 cm.        -   Shape.—Upper petal: Oblong; hooded. Lower petal: Cordate.        -   Apex.—Upper petal: Hooked. Lower petal: Two-lobed.        -   Margin, upper and lower petals.—Entire.        -   Texture, upper and lower petals.—Satiny, smooth.        -   Color, upper and lower petals.—When opening and fully            opened, upper surface: 60B. When opening and fully opened,            lower surface: 60B.-   Sepals:    -   -   Arrangement.—Two sepals fused into a tube.        -   Length.—About 1.4 mm.        -   Width.—About 5 mm.        -   Shape.—Triangular.        -   Apex.—Acute.        -   Margin.—Entire.        -   Color, upper and lower surfaces.—59A.-   Pedicels:    -   -   Strength.—Moderately strong.        -   Length.—About 0.7 mm.        -   Diameter.—About 0.5 mm.        -   Aspect.—About 40 degrees from vertical.        -   Texture.—Smooth, glabrous.        -   Color.—59A.-   Reproductive organs:    -   -   Stamens.—Quantity per flower: Two.        -   Anther shape.—Ovate.        -   Anther length.—About 7 mm.        -   Anther color.—155C.        -   Pollen amount.—Moderate.        -   Pollen color.—165A.        -   Pistils.—Quantity per flower: One.        -   Pistil length.—About 2.5 cm.        -   Stigma shape.—Two-parted.        -   Stigma color.—64A.        -   Style length.—About 2.3 cm.        -   Style color.—155C.        -   Ovary color.—155C.-   Seed/fruit: Seed and fruit production has not been observed.-   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Salvia have not been    noted to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Salvia.-   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Salvia have been observed    to tolerate temperatures from −10-40 degrees C.

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Salvia plant named ‘Sunsarurein,’substantially as herein illustrated and described.